2024 is the first year we spawned and grew all of our Salmwood onsite in Finca Chocolat’s nursery and we could not be more pleased with the results. The trees you see above are approximately five months old and they are in superb shape! These trees are at least 1/3 larger than those we purchased in the past of the same age and this early vitality will make their transition to the fields much easier and increase their growth rate once planted.
We plant our hardwood trees in a 30’x30′ grid in the areas that had been cleared by the previous owner for cattle. This spacing will provide the ideal amount of shade under which to plant cacao in approximately three years. At that point in time, the Salmwood will be 30’+ in height, forming a canopy under which young cacao will benefit from the shade and will help to suppress weeds in the areas they are planted.
To give an idea of their growth rate these are the same plants in seedling trays at the end of May 2024:
